WANTEDdeadORalive

John 20     Wanted Dead or Alive?

1. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, Notice it saids while it was yet dark, something tells me that her Jesus was the first thing on her mind, with the beginning of each new day, she started out early not even waiting for the Son/sun to rise before she was on the move
2. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved...
3. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
Mark 16:3. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4. And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
Wow! all they had to do was think and begin to act on that faith and the answer was on its way, Notice they stepped out in faith not hindered by the fact that there was a heavy stone yet to be dealt with, could it be that the Lord moved the stone for their benefit when he saw them coming and heard their question? for as far as Jesus was concerned all he had to do was walk right through the stone and out of the cave no need to remove it? the lesson here? no matter how great the obstacles he is able ! if we do our part he will do his part!

Luke 24::4.    And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?    6. He is not here, but is risen
Hum interesting question! I wonder if some of us are still looking for Jesus among the dead? we won’t find him in dead, dry worship services, in dead and routine religion, in dead traditions and empty rituals, some people expect to find Jesus among those who joy in their sin and perverted revelry rather than in the tabernacle of praise and worship, & in the tents of holiness or a heart full of love, and yet others want to find him in a cross they wear on their neck rather than bare on their shoulders, some want to find him in idols, icons and candles rather than in their hearts and homes, but you won’t find him among the dead or hypocritical ! because he is alive and real..
9. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
10. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
( Ah notice this they went home not recognizing the amazing miracle in their mist! and that’s just like some folks they are quick to let circumstances and situations dictate their actions and fate, they are quick to go back to the old way, quick to give up and go back home, blinded by doubt and fear, loss and discouragement but look at Mary she refuse to go way, to give up, to lose hope, notice she was still looking? what was she looking for? a miracle? an answer to her hopes? to her dreams? to her prayers?
11. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
12.   And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.    13. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. (Notice she didn’t recognize him, yet she saw him face to face? )
15. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
16. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master
( Ah would to God that we would say master, master and bow before him, when we simply hear the whisper of his voice, but the thing is we must first learn to recognize his voice, notice she heard his voice as he whispered her name while her back was turned to him yet she immediately recognized him, something to take notice of here is that she didn’t recognize his features physically but his voice audibly, perhaps things are not always what they seem or look like? but once you know his voice he nor circumstances or situations will ever mislead you, look at her she recognized his soft whisper, his gentle call, ah but that’s just it for some of us he has to practically yell to get our attention, what a difference LOVE makes! )
17. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended

Mark 16:14. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
( Looks like we all have a command to take this message to a lost hurting, dying world for how could we dare to keep this precious truth to ourselves, while there are in our mist people who are hurting, whose lives are being destroyed, marriages under attack, families being separated and broken, minds being demonically manipulated and controlled, bodies being battered with perversion, sickness and disease, children out of control, unsupervised and unloved, now is that not enough reason to care enough to take this gospel to the world? to go beyond my neighborhood, my so called Church, my job, my little circle of friends and family.... now that’s taking it to the whole world.)
16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. ( It takes more than just believing, actually it matters what you believe aswell? is it bible or not? to many people claim to believe but they fail to act on that belief, true belief will result in true actions of love and repentance, true baptism is not just putting on the water but to put on Christ and his love and character, to desire and make true changes in ones life, now here’s a lesson for me )
17. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ( In his name? hum what just does that mean? well there are many who go around quoting in Jesus name this and in Jesus name that, that’s not what he meant yes indeed there is power and authority in that name when use properly! but what is meant here is that we should live in the very character and compassion of Christ! in the very spirit of his love and grace, in obedience and faithfulness, in holiness and integrity, when we live in his spirit and character we can then move in the power and authority of his name! and claim deliverance and healing in his name! restoration and reconciliation.
18. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Reflections: Lets take a look at our title once again, ‘WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE?” some people are happy with a dead Jesus, they want a dead religion, a dead service, a dead bible, they would rather stay in their dead state of sin and unbelief than live unto Christ and be changed, they are happy and content with a Jesus that is still laid up & bound in a dark, damp, cold, dungeon of a tomb, a Jesus who is still confined to the rustic pages of his-tory, he’s alright just as long as he stays in the bible and doesn’t interfere with their lives, they don’t mind if you talk about him just as long as that’s all you do is talk, on the other hand there are those who long for Jesus to live and abide in them! who live for his very presence! who run to him and not from him
Now lets take a look at the individuals in this story and see this story from another view point of Mary, John, Peter, Jesus and Satan, First there’s Mary oh how she must have longed for the day to start and the Son/sun to rise? she was determined to see her savior one more time, to smell his fragrant presence one more time, to run her hands thru his hair one more time, to hold him close, to see his smile, and she was not about to let even death nor darkness keep her from him, no obstacles would hinder her mission not even a 1 ton boulder, oh I can imagine how she must have tossed and turned all night with anticipation, she would arise often to check the time and look out her house to see if it was light yet, for Mary this was the event of a life time for this would be her last opportunity to see him and after all she did save half of her alabaster ointment for just this moment, to complete his anointing and washing. It was to be her last significant sacrifice and proclamation of his lordship over her life and her love for him, little did she know that she was about to see her shattered dreams mended, her prayers answered, her hope come alive, her defeat become victory! her sorrows consoled, her salvation secure, her patience rewarded, her hero resurrected ! her Jesus alive!
Then there was Peter and John, oh how they must have wondered, why? how? what next? what now? as they walked that long distance to the tomb, oh yes there was the danger of robbers and thieves especially along the dark path they traveled, those winding, steep, and jagged cliffs they had to traverse, it felt so lonely and heavy upon them with despair, yet something inside them told them yea comforted them, and somehow let them know that they were not alone, for Peter he couldn’t help but remember his denial of Jesus as he thought to himself would he now be the one denied? denied access to his Lord? denied access to forgiveness? denied his victory? his freedom? his hope? for Peter this was his last opportunity to show his faith and love, to pay his respects, to make his stand, to declare his submission and faithfulness! and for Peter it would be just that his release from guilt and shame his acceptance in the beloved! Now for John it was another story it was John who was once know for his violent temper and anger, he was even called one of the son’s of thunder! but Jesus had done a wondrous work of transformation in John’s life now he was to be known as the apostle of Love, there was a certain defined and recognizable trait of love and communication between Jesus and John that the others didn’t have t was not that Jesus loved John more but John just seem to respond more, to understand more, his heart beat after Jesus, his thoughts were constantly on Jesus and in line with Jesus, for John this day would only strengthen his love and resolve to serve JESUS all the more, he was not going to the tomb so much to pay his respects and grieve so much as he was intent on reinforcing his faith! declaring his service and recognizing his Lordship! I suppose he was wanting one more refill of Gods great and tender love he just wanted to feel that touch one more time, his presence once again but little did he know that he would now feel his presence always.. Then there was Jesus himself oh what it must have been like for him, what he must have felt? he left the palace for a prison, left his royalty for rags, traded his mansion for a gutted out, fly infested, urine smelling manger, put away his rights to draw on his divine deity to put on frail humanity, born not as a prince but a pauper, were the should have been heads of state and acclaim at his birth there were only a few scattered sheep, some lowly cows, a scurry of barn mice and a host of flies, to think he left the peace and protection of his blessed home and the halls of heavenly worship and sweet adoration just to step into this chaotic and disease ridden lake of humanity. So here he is rejected, beaten, mocked, ridiculed, brutally punished and unjustly at that, and as he hangs on the cross in great pain guess what? he doesn’t complain rather he still try’s to reach for one more soul, “ this day shall thou be with me in paradise” Now he’s dead and defeated or so they think, then they try and lock him in a cold, damp, dirty, dark tomb as if they could shut him up or turn him off by simply shutting him in? imagine; he felt so rejected, so dirty, so ashamed, so hurt, so abandoned, so defeated, all he could do was wait, trust, hope, and of course pray! and pray he did! but there was one thing that seem to bother him still? He knew his body had died? but for some odd reason the pain was still there, the hurt was still there, why he could still feel the stab of the spear, the brutal lashes of the whip, the pain feels like forever but he knows his healing is sure! by his stripes we are healed! and lo and behold he begins to
feel the resurrection power begin to surge through his body, ‘ For the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set him free from the power of sin and death’ O grave where is thy victory? O death where is thy sting?
Then there was Satan, he thought he had the victory, ah but looks can be deceiving, yes how they must have partied in the depths of hell, demons were elated, Satan was surrounded in jubilation, but this party was to be cut short soon, somehow Satan had this funny feeling, he was uneasy and uncomfortable something seemed missing? something wasn’t right, and just as he thought and feared soon they heard a noise sounded like someone walking down the corridors of the devils dungeon then there was this sound of keys jangling, what could it be, Satan sent his strongest and most formidable of demons to investigate but even those demons never returned all Satan could hear was terrified screams, then before he knew it there was a knock! knock! on the door of his dungeon, then his knees began to knock knock as the door was opened Jesus yelled BOO! got you! parties over shut it down! Satan I’ve come to let you know I’m taking you down and I now have the keys to death, hell and the grave, I’m your new landLord, your kingdoms coming down! and with that he turns and walks away as he looks back he saids Oh and by the way I’ll be back (at my second coming)

A Prayer: .Dear Daddy oh sometimes its so hard to know what to say, to know how to pray, what I do know is that I am in need, that I want to please you, so today daddy I come to you with my heart tattered and my dreams damaged, you know my sins better than I? yes I repent and ask your forgiveness! I also ask that you would help others to forgive me, I guess if I were to be honest Daddy I would have to say that I’ve made a pretty big mess again, it seems that I do that often don’t I? God I love you dad and I hate having hurt you or others, but there were times when I was so weak, so in bondage, so mislead and sometimes even I hate myself for what I’ve done, Now I must willingly face the consequences of my foolish actions, without bitterness or anger towards others, I guess I can understand others feelings towards me, I pray ur mercy would be kind to them, after all it is my fault, but that doesn’t make it any less difficult for me, matter a fact it hurts all the more, its just so hard for me daddy, I want to do better, to be accountable, I want you to know how much I appreciate your forgiveness and help in overcoming this difficult struggle, help me, keep me, lead me, yes sometimes I feel like its so hard but I know that you are there, like Mary I too want to long with anticipation for your presence, and though it may seem dark all around me and death may threaten me I will seek you early with each new day! like Mary let me wait on you, let me seek after you when others won’t or others have given up, when it seems like your hidden or gone, when I can’t trace you or feel you let me trust you, and like MARY I thank you ! because as her sins were many and were forgiven so were mine many and forgiven. So I hereby break open the alabaster jar of my heart unto you, let me wash you in the fragrant perfume of love and the sweet ointment of tender caresses . And like Peter and John sometimes I too feel so weary and tried, tired and discouraged, like Peter I too have had my doubts and denial of you, but as usual your quick to forgive and restore I praise you for that Lord! and like John I too have struggled with my anger, and like John my wrath is and was more vocal than physical but it alarmed and scared others just the same, but like you change John into the beloved disciple of peace and gentleness change me please! but unlike Peter and John don’t let me give up and go back home in doubt and fear so easy when circumstances seem against me, situations overwhelm me and it seems your not there, remind me that your only a prayer way! remind me that the tomb is empty! because there are times when I feel like you did Jesus? when I feel shut in and locked up in a cold, dark tomb, not so much by others as by my own actions and behavior, my own doing has entombed me, but the stone that covers my tomb I cannot remove on my own, it is the 1 ton stone of guilt, shame and condemnation, like you daddy I to feel the sharp and rusted nails but these do not pierce my hands but my heart! these nails are made up of the sting of gossip and persecution, but then again I did bring it upon myself, and again I plead your mercy not only for myself but others aswell for like you prayed.. they know not what they do father forgive them, you see I must become a John better yet a Jesus! I adore you Lord! you are the glory! like You daddy when I feel defeated, when I feel rejected, when I feel the attack of others, remind me that there is a cause, that there is hope, that there is reconciliation and restoration, that you are merciful and I must be merciful too, that ur chastisement it is good, it is fair, and that there will be a resurrection should I suffer death, it is after all only the beginning, for that I praise you my Lord and savior! I thank you for saving me, bless it be the Lord! you are the resurrection and the life! no tomb can hold us, no attack can defeat us matter a fact ““ no weapon formed against us shall prosper”
amen!

Prepared by : George R. Nava   2170 E. Market St. Stockton, Ca phone -46-59731
My web page: http://gospelstuffs.homestead.com/index.html